Into The Impossible

Welcome everybody to an existential edition of the Into the Impossible podcast with one of my favorite human beings and one of your favorite human beings too, judging by my comment sections on Twitter and YouTube – Dr. Sabine Hossenfelder! For those of you who don’t know Sabine, she is a German theoretical physicist, talented science communicator, bestselling author, and very successful YouTuber.  Today, Sabine and I talk about her latest book, Existential Physics, the current state of academia, whether we need to reform our educational system, why Sabine keeps changing her mind about dark matter, what the deal is with quantum computers and much more! As always with Sabine, it was a great conversation, so tune in! Key Takeaways:  Intro (00:00) Judging a book by its cover: Existential Physics (01:40) Should scientists promote their research? (04:32) Thoughts on the educational system (18:49) What excites Sabine the most in science (36:12) What annoys Sabine most in science (40:37) Brandolini law and

Is reality real, or are we actually just living in a simulation? How did Galileo influence modern thinking about reality? And are there any drug experiences that you simply can't come back from?  Here today to discuss this with me is renowned philosopher, famous TED talk speaker, cognitive scientist, and deep thinker Donald Hoffman!  Donald is a professor in the Department of Cognitive Science at the University of California, Irvine, and the author of the provocative book The Case Against Reality. So, there is really no one better out there to discuss reality with! Tune in and join us as Donald presents his case against reality.  Key Takeaways:  Intro (00:00) Judging a book by its cover: The Case Against Reality (01:15) How Galileo influenced modern thinking about reality (06:41) Can biology predict how consciousness emerges? (18:30) What is panpsychism? (22:50) Is reality just a linguistic construction? (31:53) How are humans supposed to interact with the “real” world? (42:53) Is consciousness a

Is the human brain a quantum computer? What is the Orch OR model of consciousness? And is there an afterlife for our quantum souls? Here today to answer these questions and take us on a wild tour through consciousness, imagination, and the human brain is Dr. Stuart Hameroff! Stuart is a professor of anesthesiology and psychology at the University of Arizona and director of The Center for Consciousness Studies. In this interview, we dive deep into Stuart’s research and his passion for everything consciousness, so make sure to check it out!  Key Takeaways:  Intro (00:00) Judging the symposium by its cover (02:06) The Orch OR theory (06:44) The problem of free will (10:14) Elaborating on the Orch OR theory (13:00) How does anesthesia actually work? (26:23) Stuart’s interest in quantum physics (30:10) Artificial intelligence and brain organoids (33:55) AI, Neuralink, and other brain-computer interfaces (38:02) Audience questions (42:54) Outro (55:53) — Additional resources: 

I've recently hit a huge milestone on my YouTube channel, which is currently at a whopping 150k subscribers... And counting! I could not be more grateful to you for tuning in, subscribing, and especially for commenting and leaving questions for me to answer.  So, to thank you, I've prepared a very special bonus episode in which I answer ALL your questions! Buckle up! Today, we’re diving deep Into the Impossible. — Additional resources: 

Today, I have the honor to welcome back one of my favorite guests on the show, Eric Weinstein! Most of you are probably already very familiar with Eric and his work, but for those who don’t know him, Eric is a mathematical physicist, economist, podcaster, public speaker, and one of the most brilliant people I know.  In this episode, we will again discuss the universe's current state, whether we are heading towards nuclear war, the twin nuclei problem of cell and atom, aliens, physics, and much more.  Tune in! Key Takeaways:  Intro (00:00) Are we heading towards a nuclear war? (00:53) What would happen the next day after we discovered aliens? (20:41) Nuclear fission, the Manhattan Project, and the collapse of civilization (26:23) Will we ever get off the planet? (41:22) Intuitive and rational minds (53:47) On theories of everything (56:37) What Eric does to take care of himself (1:14:51) Outro (1:17:04) — Additional resources: 

Is AI real or just magic pretending to be real? What’s the difference between education and learning? And what does global warming have to do with marketing?!  Here today, to answer these questions, is one of my heroes, Seth Godin! Seth is an internationally renowned author and public speaker. His name is synonymous with marketing. For over 30 years, Seth has inspired countless individuals, teams, and tribes to think differently about marketing, leadership, and innovation.  Today, Seth and I sit down to discuss his latest book, The Song of Significance, a manifesto for teams desperately seeking ways to navigate the age of disconnection, AI, the educational system, and global warming.  Strap in for another mind-bending conversation!  Key Takeaways:  Introduction (00:00) Judging a book by its cover: The Song of Significance (01:10) AI, magic, and the future of education (05:22) The half-life of companies (16:29) Seth’s writing process (24:13) Final questions (41:47) Outro (44:41) — Additional re

Noam Chomsky is one of the most influential and highly cited scholars of our time. He is a pioneer in the fields of linguistics and cognitive science. He has deep thoughts about communicating with aliens, meditation, Elon Musk, and free speech. Chomsky is a prolific author and known political activist. We avoided politics, as is the custom for my interviews. Our conversation also covers the Turing Test, neural nets, and artificial intelligence, including why he expects Elon Musk’s Neuralink project to fail. Key Takeaways:  Introduction (00:00) Does Noam Chomsky believe in extraterrestrial life & could we communicate with E.T.? (09:01) Busting (or confirming) linguistic myths with the master (23:57) “There is no scientific method. It’s just being intelligent.” (39:19) Artificial intelligence applications in cognitive science (58:13) Chomsky University would encourage discovery (1:09:46) Thoughts on the negative reaction to the Harper’s Magazine article (1:21:52) What object or knowledge would Chomsk

Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, or Peter Beck? Who's winning the billionaire space race? And who will take care of all their space junk? Here today to answer all of these questions and more is none other than Ashlee Vance! Ashlee is a writer at Bloomberg, bestselling author, filmmaker, and Emmy-nominated host and writer of the tech series Hello World. Among his most well-known books are Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future and When The Heavens Went on Sale: The Misfits and Geniuses Racing To Put Space Within Reach, which was an instant bestseller, and which we will discuss in depth today. Ashlee is one of my favorite writers, and it was a huge honor for me to dive deep into the world of space exploration with him.  Tune in!  Key Takeaways:  Intro (00:00) Judging a book by its cover: When The Heavens Went on Sale (01:04) Pete Worden and his influence on commercial spaceflight (03:20) Communist vs. capitalist approach to space exploration (06:54) Will Elon Musk die on Mars? (11:09)

In this special edition of the Foundational Questions Podcast, physicist Brian Keating discusses his book Losing The Nobel Prize, which recounts the ill-fated BICEP2 announcement--and retraction--of the claimed discovery of primordial gravitational waves in 2014. Listen for the special treat at the end. A poetic ode to cosmic dust. https://fqxi.org/

Today, I sat down with someone who I respect greatly – Peter Boghossian. Peter is a former Portland State University professor, renowned philosopher, and best-selling author. His primary research areas are critical thinking and moral reasoning.  He actually resigned from his position at Portland State University because he felt that ideology had taken over the institution and that he did not have enough freedom as a scholar to continue his work. So, there’s no one better to talk to about the current legitimacy crisis in science and the moral obligations of scientists when it comes to communicating science to the public. We also dive deep into religion, the origin of the universe, and quantum computing.  Tune in!  Key Takeaways:  Do we have to agree on everything? (00:00) Can there be an infinite regress? (03:20) Why do we need a unified field theory? (13:12) On Eric Weinstein’s theory (23:43) Joe Rogan vs. Peter Hotez: Should scientists debate publicly? (37:53) Legitimacy crisis and death of expert

Is intelligent design a scientific possibility worth exploring? According to today’s guest, Dr. Stephen C. Meyer, it is, and he claims he has scientific evidence to prove it! Dr. Stephen C. Meyer is a former geophysicist and college professor who received his Ph.D. in the philosophy of science from the University of Cambridge. He directs the Center for Science and Culture at the Discovery Institute in Seattle. He authored the bestselling books Darwin’s Doubt, Signature in the Cell, and most recently, Return of the God Hypothesis, a book we discuss in depth in our interview.  You may be wondering what an advocate of intelligent design is doing on a show with a practicing cosmologist who frequently declares himself to be a devout agnostic and if I, a respected cosmologist, am getting into intelligent design. Well, tune in, and you’ll find out!  Let’s get into it! Key Takeaways:  Intro (00:00) Why Stephen’s work is so controversial (03:21) The level of epistemic support in his evidence (16:03) The origi

Is climate science being politicized? Are facts being misrepresented and distorted to fit a certain narrative? Are climate scientists trying to dictate policy instead of investigating the actual truth? And what does it mean to be accused of being a global warming denier? Here today to discuss this controversial topic with me is no other than Steven Koonin! Steven is a renowned theoretical physicist and has recently been working on urban studies and government policies. He has also published a very provocative book, Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn't, and Why It Matters. The book caused a lot of controversy as it challenged the dominant narrative on global warming, and today, he is here to state his case!

Watch the video of this conversation https://www.youtube.com/live/TezZ65_7MaY?si=-K12LzQeGNGN55Sg?sub_confirmation=1 Past episode with Avi Loeb on Youtube: https://youtu.be/N9lUceHsLRw Garry Nolan is a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. His research is in microbiology, immunology, bio-computation, and analysis of UFO artifacts, materials, and he is actively investigating reports of UFO encounters. Avi Loeb is an astrophysicist at Harvard, the director of the Galileo Project, and the author of Extraterrestrial. In 1993 he moved to Harvard University where he was tenured three years later. He is now the Frank B. Baird Jr. Professor of Science and former chair of the department. EPISODE LINKS: WOW DNA SIGNAL http://bit.ly/3EBASJr Avi's Website: https://lweb.cfa.harvard.edu/~loeb/ Garry's Twitter: https://twitter.com/GarryPNolan Nolan Lab's Website: https://web.stanford.edu/group/nolan/ Please join my mailing list

Watch the video of our conversation https://youtu.be/nlrDky-fCtc?sub_confirmation=1 Once again, I had the pleasure of speaking to one of the world's most famous and perhaps most controversial astrophysicists – Avi Loeb! For those of you who don’t know him, Avi is a professor of science at Harvard University, theoretical physicist, astrophysicist, and cosmologist. He is also a bestselling author and a dear friend of mine. Avi just published Interstellar: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life and Our Future in the Stars. In it, he explains why we need to become an interstellar species to ensure our survival and lays out a plan for how we can settle among the stars. As usual, we take some time to judge a book by its cover and discuss what went into the making of this book. We also dig into the recent Galileo Project expedition to the Pacific Ocean to retrieve spherules of the first recognized interstellar meteor, IM1, led by Avi, and discuss whether they found evidence of alien technology! For your chance to win

Scott Eastwood evokes one of the best primers on cosmology and astrophysics you’re ever going to get in this wide ranging discussion wit Brian Keating. From the age and size of the Universe to relativity and the essence of science itself, and the pursuit of the Nobel prize, this episode could make you one of the most interesting people in the room at your next dinner party! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/live-life-better-with-scott-eastwood/id1398401294 twitter.com/ScottEastwood Please join my mailing list

Today's guest is no stranger to drama and controversy, and he may have helped you pass a test or two in school… Meet Dave Farina, better known as Professor Dave Explains! Dave is a popular science communicator, chemist, author, and proprietor of one of the largest science YouTube channels in the world. Dave and I first got in contact after I published an interview with someone who Dave claims is a charlatan, and of course, that sparked my interest, and I knew I had to get Dave on the show, too, so he could state his case properly. Join us as we discuss the heated drama between Dave and the Discovery Institute, science deniers, faith, and the concept of lying. Are you ready? Let’s dive in! Key Takeaways: On exposing misinformation and fraudulent claims (00:32) The notion of lying (12:34) Judging a book by its cover: Is This Wi-Fi Organic? (21:32) On questionable influencers and fear-mongering (24:10) The undermining of the public’s trust in science and COVID-19 (30:04) Uncertainty in the scientific commu

Astrophysicist and cosmologist Brian Keating, Ph.D., talks about the high-pressure world of science. For a decade, Dave Asprey, “the father of biohacking,” elevated what you knew about the capabilities of your mind and body across a thousand episodes of Bulletproof Radio. Now, he’s evolving it even further in his plan to upgrade humanity. You’re invited to expand your knowledge, explore your own performance and embrace possibility with The Human Upgrade™. You’ll meet bright thinkers and radical doers who push the boundaries of science, technology, personal development, and human performance in every way imaginable. You’ll learn from experts around the world who elevate what it means to be human. Every guest you listen to, every topic you learn about, every new idea you discover on this podcast moves you forward. Join The Human Upgrade™ with Dave Asprey on this next evolution to upgrade your mind, body and life. Please join my mailing list

Juan Maldacena joined Professor Brian Keating for his first-ever podcast to discuss his fascinating work on black holes, AdS CFT, and 'human traversable wormholes and fundamental physics. We discussed the Multiverse, Black Holes, Wormholes, SETI, Life on Einstein Lane at the Institute for Advanced Study, wormholes in movies like Interstellar, and more. Brian and Juan start by chatting about his recent paper "HUMANLY TRAVERSABLE WORMHOLES" https://arxiv.org/abs/2008.06618 which is based, in part, on this earlier paper: "Traversable wormholes in four dimensions" https://arxiv.org/abs/1807.04726 Sign up for Professor Keating's newsletter, we'll send you links to download two explanatory talks on these papers. Please join my mailing list; just click here

Richard S. Ellis is professor of astrophysics at University College London and a world-renowned observational astronomer who has made numerous discoveries about the nature and evolution of the universe. He lives in Cambridge, UK. When Galaxies Were Born is Richard Ellis’s firsthand account of how a pioneering generation of scientists harnessed the world’s largest telescopes to decipher the history of the universe and witness cosmic dawn, the time when starlight first bathed the cosmos and galaxies emerged from darkness. Please join my mailing list

Watch this episode on YouTube to see the slides: https://youtu.be/G3xy-bEDJCY "I view string theory as the most promising way to quantize matter and gravity in a unified way. We need both quantum gravity and we need unification and a quantization of gravity. One of the reasons why string theory is promising is that there are no singularities associated with those singularities are the same type that they offer point particles." — Robert Brandenberger In this thought-provoking conversation, my grad school mentor, Robert Brandenberger shares his unique perspective on various cosmological concepts. He challenges the notion of the fundamental nature of the Planck length, questioning its significance and delving into intriguing debates surrounding its importance in our understanding of the universe. He also addresses some eyebrow-raising claims made by Elon Musk about the limitations imposed by the Planck scale on the number of digits of pi. Moving on to the topic of inflation and its potential detectability, Rob